Electrolyte baths, which are used for electroplating, electroless plating, chemical etching, electrochemical etching, and electropolishing of metals and alloys, typically contain a large number of chemical components. The type and amount of each chemical component of a bath may have an impact on the plating or etching rate and the properties of the resulting surface or deposit. Despite many scientific studies, optimal compositions of electrolyte baths for etching and deposition are often chosen empirically. Often, the type and amount of additives to include in an electrolyte bath are a key consideration in determining bath compositions to perform the desired plating or etching. In other cases, such as alloy deposition, the ratio of salts that yields the desired composition of the deposited film are a key consideration in determining bath composition.
When screening (i.e., comparing) electrolyte bath compositions for their effect on plating or etching performance, the quality (for example, microstructure, composition, surface roughness, surface contamination) of the resulting film is a key consideration. The effect of bath composition on deposition or etch rate may also be a key metric. Screening one electrolyte component or constituent at a time may be costly and time-consuming.
Consideration is now being given to improving systems and methods for screening plating and etching bath compositions. The desirable bath composition screening systems and methods will be able to quickly and accurately determine the effect of a multitude of a multitude of bath compositions on desired plating and etching process characteristics.